1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable outdoor cooking equipment. More particularly, the present invention is a new and improved cooking apparatus that is easily transported, can be quickly assembled, provides a variety of cooking configurations, allows for selective positioning over a fire, and can be quickly disassembled and stored.
2. Description of the Known Prior Art
In outdoor cooking, it is common for campers and outdoorsman to rely on what they find in the wilderness as a heating and cooking source. Gathered wood is most commonly the fuel due to the impracticability of finding or carrying charcoal or natural gas. Needless to say, the wood found is often of varying sizes, shapes, and variety. Therefore, most cooking is done over dug out pits generally arranged for the size of fire desired and availability and quality of wood.
Outdoor enthusiasts have long struggled to find the ideal cooking equipment to use in remote locations where it is undesirable or impractical to use conventional relatively non-portable grills typically found in most residential back yards or the existing portable equipment currently found on the camping market. Although many grill assemblies and portable cooking devices are known for camping and such events as tailgate parties, these known devices lack convenience, flexibility in cooking options, and simplicity of operation. Furthermore, the portable devices specifically designed for camping frequently sacrifice stability to be lightweight enough for camping and are extremely difficult to set up over large fire pits.
Because of the popularity of outdoor cooking, it is desirable to provide equipment that may be used for a wide variety of options such as in hiking, tailgate parties or even the backyard.
Unfortunately, due to the general nature of outdoor cooking, most equipment is designed in accordance with a single type of fire source in mind. Typically, charcoal and natural gas grills use compartments to contain the fire source whereas natural wood fires require an open pit arrangement for the simple fact that wood is too large and irregularly sized to fit into prefabricated containers. It is therefore desirable to provide outdoor cooking grills and equipment that provides flexibility for different size fires, and fire pits, and may be used with charcoal or wood of any size or shape.
Unfortunately, most current products still typically fall into two general classifications.
The first being typically rudimentary lightweight equipment often designed for backpackers who need very light weight equipment due to the need for carrying the equipment over potentially long distances. These types of devices are often very unsteady due to their lightweight construction as previously mentioned and have very limited application options. Furthermore, these types lack any method for adjusting height over the flame after being set up or once the fire has started.
The other general class is essentially heavier duty devices that more closely resemble equipment found in backyards. Obviously these types are less convenient to transport due to their heavier construction and frequently too bulky for use by backpackers. Although, several known types do somewhat disassemble for transportation, none currently allow for use with wood normally found and utilized in camping. Also these types may be extremely difficult to break down and often require substantial effort to stabilize on rough terrain.
Thus, there is a need for a new and improved portable cooking apparatus that provides convenience, flexibility for a variety of operations, and is easily transportable. Whereas the prior art has failed to meet the needs and desires of consumers, the present invention is a portable outdoor cooking apparatus that provides numerous cooking arrangements and options and is still readily transportable.